Generally, a device such as an AV (Audio Visual) device has a remote control function based on a remote controller, by which a user can control the device so that the device carries out various operations remote from the user. Further, recently, it has become easier to carry out data communication at a short distance between devices with advancement of data communication technique.
For example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 134502/2000 (Tokukai 2000-134502) (Publication date: May 12, 2000) discloses a delivery apparatus in which data is, by radio, sent/received between (i) a sending device connected to an AV device or a TV receiver and (ii) a receiving device connected to the TV receiver. In this delivery apparatus, when a user on the side of the receiving device selects an AV device and gives an instruction such as “reproduction” by means of a remote controller, the sending device selects the AV device in accordance with information sent from the receiving device, and gives the instruction of “reproduction” for example by means of infrared ray data communication. A video and a sound reproduced by the AV device are sent from the sending device and are received by the receiving device, and are outputted to the TV receiver on the side of the receiving device. According to the delivery apparatus, it is possible to operate the AV device and it is possible to listen to its output sound and to view its output video at such position that it is impossible to operate the AV device by means of a remote controller (for example, in another room).
However, according to such delivery apparatus, in case where a plurality of receiving devices are respectively disposed at different positions and a plurality of users operate the AV device via the respective receiving devices, when the users operate the same AV device, the AV device operates in response to operation instructions given by the respective users. Thus, a single user cannot exclusively operate the AV device.
Such disadvantage can be solved by a control method disclosed, for example, by Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 148705/2001 (Tokukai 2001-148705) (Publication date: May 29, 2001). According to the control method, respective controlled devices are made accessible, and an access right is given to any one of controlling devices, thereby controlling a single controlled device corresponding to the controlling device. In the control method, the access right is given to each controlling device (each node).
Further, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 269994/2000 (Tokukai 2000-269994) (Publication date: Sep. 29, 2000) discloses a control method in which: a management device for managing the access right in a network is provided, and a user registers (i) an identification code of a controller and (ii) an identification code of a controlled device in the management device in advance, and a combination of (i) the identification code of the controller and (ii) the identification code of the controlled device is outputted while outputting an operation signal from the controller. The management device compares the combination with the registered combination. When the combination and the registered combination are identical to each other, the management device responds so as to make the controller accessible. When the combination and the registered combination are not identical to each other, the management device responds so as not to make the controller accessible.
Thus, each of plural devices connected to a network receives mere an instruction given by the controller to which the access right has been given, so that it is possible to avoid such disadvantage that a single device limitlessly receives instructions given by a plurality of controllers.
However, according to the control method disclosed by Tokukai 2001-148705, the controlled device has a table for setting the access rights, so that it is necessary to manage the access rights of the respective controlled devices. Thus, it is necessary that the controlled device includes a memory region for the table and a program for managing the access rights. This causes manufacturing cost of the controlled device to rise.
While, according to the control method disclosed, the management device manages information for giving the control right, so that each of the controlled devices does not have to manage the information. However, the control method brings about the following disadvantage. According to the control method, the management device manages the control right with respect to the controlled device connected to the network, but it is impossible to manage the control rights of the controlling devices which are not connected to a network (communication network between the sending device and the receiving device).
Further, according to both the control method disclosed by Tokukai 2001-148705 and the control method disclosed by Tokukai 2000-269994, a special command for obtaining the control right is sent to a device which manages the control right of the corresponding device, so that the control right is obtained. However, in the control method, it is necessary that a device other than the device for managing the control right, e.g., a device which requests the control right can explicitly treat the control right, so that it is impossible to obtain the control right from a conventional device which gives no consideration for treatment of the control right.
The present invention was devised from the foregoing view point, and its object is to provide a device control management apparatus which can manage a control right with respect to a device which is not directly connected to a network. Also, the object of the present invention is to provide a device control management apparatus which can treat a control right in response to an operation of a device which gives no consideration for treatment of the control right.